I have been having a love affair with France for about 20 years. I think it began in elementary school when I was presented with the French award in seventh or eighth grade. In Secondary school it quickly became one of my favourite and best subjects, and in my first year of University, I watched my first French film, and the crush that had been brewing since those pre-teen years was now a full fledged romance.
In my early twenties I was fortunate enough to live in the South of France for several months, and my exposure to the French culture, especially the cuisine, was anything but disappointing. Baguettes, brie and rose wine were now a regular part of my vocabulary and diet. Boulangeries were on every street corner and I would wake early to walk down boulevard d'italie to watch the bakers produce the most fragrant and lovely breads, pastries and cookies I had ever laid my eyes on. One morning, en route to Italy via the TGV, I popped into that illustrious bakery and bought a pain chocolate for breakfast and a Madeleine for my afternoon snack on the train home.
The madeleine was truly the most delicious little cookie I had ever tasted. At that point in my life my exposure to cookies had been Oreo's and homemade chocolate chip, so you can imagine why I was so smitten. I vowed then that one day I would learn how to make those amazingly perfect, delicate and delectable little treats.
Upon my return to Canada, I quickly forgot about my love for the Madeleine, and more or less abandoned cookies all together. I moved on with my life, met a love, had children and became immersed in my parenting. As my children grew, so did their love for cookies, and one day we headed out for a walk and stopped by the lovely little French boulangerie in my neighbourhood. My eldest son chose a pain chocolate for his snack and my youngest chose a madeleine...just the things I had selected so many years ago, in a place so far from here.
Needless to say Madeleines are now a favourite treat in our home..and my children's friends enjoy them just as much as we do. My son and I each have our own madeleine pans now - his bought for him in Paris when my husband and I traveled there last year. We love to make madeleines together (they are surprisingly very easy to make and an ideal cookie for children to make with their parents) and when we do, my thoughts always fill with hope that one day he will have a passion for something that he can share with his children. My affaire de coeur with France and her food has only grown now that the real loves of my life are part of the relationship as well.
Madeleines, recipe from Classic French Cooking
1/2 cup of salted butter, softened plus 2 tbsps of melted butter for greasing the pans
1 cup of superfine sugar
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 eggs
1 tbsp. orange blossom water, or orange juice
~ Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the madeleine pans with melted butter and set aside.
~ Beat the sugar and the butter, with a stand or hand mixture, until white.
~ Sift the flour with the baking powder and set aside
~ Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture, beating thoroughly between each addition until well blended. As you add the last few eggs you may need to add a tablespoon of flour to the mixture to keep the batter from separating.
~ Using a wooden or metal spoon, fold in the remaining flour and orange blossom water or juice
~ Using a teaspoon, spoon the batter into the madeleine pans until just barely full. Transfer to the pre-heated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cakes have filled the tins completely and are firm to the touch.
~ Allow to cool and then transfer to a cooling rack. Dust with icing sugar and store in an air-tight container when perfectly cool. They will last for 2-3 days.
~ Enjoy!
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